This easy to make cherry loaf cake is made with fresh cherries, sour cream and buttermilk. This light and fluffy cherry cake is flavored with almond extract and has a ribbon of cherry jam running through the middle. Once the cake comes out of the oven it is covered with the most delicious homemade cherry icing. This is a great recipe to serve for Sunday brunch and makes a quick and easy dessert when cherries are in season.
Our step by step instructions with detailed images make this recipe easy to follow. If you are looking for more delicious loaf cake recipes, be sure to check out our Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf Cake or our Lemon Raspberry Loaf.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- this moist cherry loaf cake is make with both sour cream and buttermilk both giving the cake a tender crumb filled with flavor
- serious cherry flavor comes from the fresh cherries, the cherry jam and the cherry glaze
- this seasonal cherry loaf can be enjoyed as an indulgent breakfast or brunch treat but can also be a refreshing dessert
Ingredients
- sour cream - adds flavor and moisture to the cherry loaf cake
- buttermilk - adds additional moisture and flavor to the cake batter
- fresh cherries - I tested this recipe using fresh cherries but you can easily use frozen cherries. Be sure that they are pitted, cut them in half and toss them into the recipe while still frozen.
- cherry flavoring - adding a bit of cherry flavor to the icing gives this loaf cake and additional layer of cherry flavor. If you don't have cherry flavoring, add almond extract in its place.
- almond extract - adds a sweet almond flavor to the cake batter and can be used to flavor the icing
Variations
Chocolate Cherry Loaf Cake - When folding in the cherries, add 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips to the cake batter. Mini dark chocolate chips are my preference but you could add any milk or dark chocolate chip for a delicious chocolate cherry loaf cake.
Substitutions
fresh cherries - You can easily swap the fresh cherries out for frozen cherries. Be sure that they are pitted, cut them in half and toss them into the recipe while still frozen.
cherry flavoring - If you don't have cherry flavoring or extract for the icing, you can use ½ teaspoon of almond extract in its place - your glaze will have a lovely almond and cherry flavor
Instructions
Be sure to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions.
Using your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients.
Fold the cherries into the batter.
Spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of your prepared loaf pan. Top this with ¼ cup of cherry jam.
Spread the second half of the cake batter over the cherry jam. Bake the cherry loaf cake in an oven preheated to 350° for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Cover the cooled loaf cake with the cherry icing. Enjoy with a cozy mug of tea or coffee.
Hint: Use a cooking spray specifically designed for baking. I love Pam Baking Spray which is a combination of cooking spray and a small amount of flour. It's the perfect spray for baking in any loaf or bundt pan. Your finished cakes will slide right out of the baking pan!
Pro Tips
Bake with Room Temperature Ingredients - It's a good idea to be sure that all of your ingredients are warmed to room temperature before you begin baking. This ensures a light and fluffy quick bread with incredible flavor and texture.
Use An Oven Thermometer - Because there can be so much variation oven to oven, I love using an oven thermometer. You either place or hang the thermometer in your oven and check to be sure that the temperature on your thermometer matches the temperature that you have set your oven to. If it doesn't, you'll want to recalibrate your oven to be sure that you are getting the proper baking temperatures when you are baking.
Storage
Store the baked cherry loaf cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You'll want to make sure that it is wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container before storing.
For best results, I recommend storing this cherry loaf cake without the icing on the top of the cake. Save the icing in a separate container and add to individual slices if you are storing the cake.
Common Recipe Questions
A loaf cake is any cake recipe that is baked in a loaf pan and this includes a pound cake. A pound cake is traditionally made with a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs.
There are a few things to look for when checking to see if your loaf cake is finished baking. You'll want to look for edges that are beginning to pull away from the pan. The top of the cake should be a nice golden brown and should bounce back a little when you poke it. For a loaf cake, you want to be certain that the batter looks cooked all along the crack, you shouldn't see anything that looks like uncooked batter.
More Loaf Cake Recipes
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Easy Cherry Loaf Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9 Inch Loaf Pan
- stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup fresh cherries pitted and sliced in half
- ¼ cup cherry jam I recommend Bonne Maman
For the Cherry Icing
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon cherry extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cherry jam
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9 inch loaf pan by spraying with a nonstick baking spray.
- Remove the pits from cherries and slice cherries in half. Gently dry the cherries with a paper towel to absorb any excess cherry juice.
- Mix the cherries with 1 tablespoon of the flour so that the cherries are evenly coated in flour.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- Using your stand or a handheld mixer and a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Fold the cherries into the batter.
- Spread half of the cake batter into your prepared 9 inch loaf pan. Spread a layer of cherry jam over the batter.
- Cover jam with the remaining cake batter.
- Bake loaf cake at 350° for 55-60 minutes.
- Allow loaf to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove loaf from the pan and cool completely.
For the Cherry Icing
- Combine the butter, cherry jam, powdered sugar, cherry extract and milk in a small bowl. Use your hand mixer to mix on low speed until the icing is light and fluffy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the cherry icing over the cooled cake.
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